This list is from Scott at grillinfools.com
Acacia
These trees are in the same family as mesquite. When burned in a smoker, acacia wood has a flavor similar to mesquite but not quite as heavy. Acacia burns very hot and should be used sparingly.
Good with most meats, especially beef and most vegetables.
Alder
A sweet, musky smoke that is the traditional wood of the Northwest and pairs particularly well with salmon
Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.
Almond
A nutty and sweet smoke flavor. Very similar to pecan
Good with all meats.
Apple
Probably the most used fruit smoke wood. The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory. Ornamental apple trees like crab apple can be used as well.
Good with all meats.
Apricot
Great substitute for apple as it is also milder and sweeter than hickory.
Good with all meats.
Ash
Fast burner, light but distinctive smoke flavor.
Good with fish and red meats.
Bay
Medium floral smoke with hints of spice & cinnamon.
Good with most meats and veggies.
Beech
A mild much used wood like oak.
Good with meat and seafood.
Birch
Medium hard wood with a smoke flavor similar to maple.
Good with pork and poultry.
Blackberry
Much like the woods provided from fruit trees, the small diameter, thorny branches of the blackberry bush provide a slightly sweet and delicate flavor.
Good for grilling poultry and other meats, such as small game birds like grouse, pheasant, partridge, and quail.
Butternut
Strong smoke, like walnut, bitter when too much is used alone.
Good on red meats like beef, pork, venison and other game meats. Can easily overpower poultry.
Cherry
The second most used fruit wood. Slightly sweet fruity smoke that’s great with just about everything. It can blacken the skin of poultry making it look unappetizing, but will still taste great. It’s an excellent candidate to mix with a lighter wood like apple or apricot to reduce the blackening. What blackens the skin of chicken makes a great smoke ring. Ornamental cherry wood like double blossom cherry can be used as a substitute.
Good with all meats.
Chestnut
Slightly sweet, nutty smoke flavor.
Good with most meats.
Corncob
Although not considered to be a true wood, the heart of the cob that holds the kernels is the fuel section of this alternative for wood. It is ground into small granular bits that can be added to a smoking box or it can be combined with other woods such as woods from fruit trees, to impart several flavors. The corncob provides a sweet flavor that may overpower the food if too much is used to season the food as it cooks. Begin by trying small amounts until the desired flavor is achieved.
It is often used as a smoking chip when grilling foods such as poultry, fish and small game birds.
Cottonwood
It is a softer wood than alder and very subtle in flavor. Use it for fuel but use some chunks of other woods (hickory, oak, pecan) for more flavor as it is extremely mild. Don’t use green cottonwood for smoking.
Good for all smoking, especially pork and ribs.
Crabapple
Is essentially interchangeable with apple.
Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.
Fig
Mild & fruity like mulberry.
Good with all meats.
Grapefruit
Produces a nice mild smoky flavor.
Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.
Grapevines
Tart, aromatic, but can be a heavy flavor so don’t overdo it.
Use sparingly on poultry or lamb but otherwise if used in moderation is good with red meats, pork and game.
Guava
Flowery fruity taste.
Good for all meats,
Hickory
The most common hardwood used, even more so than apple and cherry. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavor.
Good for all smoking, particularly pork and ribs.
Lemon
Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness.
Excellent with beef, pork and poultry.
Lilac
Very subtle with a hint of floral.
Excellent for smoking cheese. Good with, pork and poultry.
Maple
Mildly smoky, somewhat sweet flavor. Maple adds a sweet, subtle flavor that enhances the flavor of poultry and game birds, and outstanding for planking for those that don’t like cedar plank salmon.
Mates well with poultry, ham, cheese, small game birds, and vegetables. Wonderful for smoked turkey!
Mesquite
Strong earthy flavor. One of the most popular woods in the country, mesquite is a scrubby tree that grows wild in the Southwest. Sweeter and more delicate than hickory, it’s a perfect complement to richly flavored meats such as steak, duck or lamb. Burns hot and fast and it probably the strongest flavored wood.
Good with most meats, especially beef and most vegetables, but be careful as it can overpower.
Mulberry
A mild smoke with a sweet, tangy, blackberry-like flavor. Similar to apple
Good with Beef, poultry, game birds, pork (particularly ham).
Nectarine
The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Oak
Most versatile of the hardwoods blending well with most meats. A mild smoke with no aftertaste. Oak gives food a beautiful smoked color. Red oak is believed to the best of the oak varieties.
Good with red meat, pork, fish and big game.
Olive
The smoke favor is similar to mesquite, but distinctly lighter.
Delicious with poultry.
Orange
A tangy, citrus smoke. Medium smoke flavor with a hint of fruitiness. Orange gives food a golden color. Produces a nice mild smoky flavor.
Excellent with beef, pork and poultry.
Peach
Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor, milder and sweeter than hickory. Peach is a bit redder than apple and produces a better smoke ring and is a little more flavorful.
Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Pear
A nice subtle smoke flavor much like apple. Slightly sweet, woodsy flavor. The smell is absolutely amazing. And just like ornamental apple and cherry, ornamental pear tree wood can be used like Bradford and Cleveland pears.
Good on Poultry, game birds and pork.
Pecan
Sweet and mild with a flavor similar to hickory but not as strong. Tasty with a subtle character. An all-around superior smoking wood. Try smoking with the nut shells as well.
Good for most things including poultry, beef, pork and cheese. Pecan is the best for that beautiful golden-brown turkey and we absolutely love it on brisket.
Persimmon
A strong, sweet, and dry smoke that is popular in restaurants as it is said the dryness of the smoke increases drink orders of patrons.
Excellent with beef and pork.
Pimento
Also referred to as Allspice, Jamaican Pepper, Myrtle Pepper, or Newspice. This wood adds a natural and somewhat peppery flavor that may also include flavors of several spices combined, such as cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, similar to the flavors provided when allspice is used as a seasoning to enhance the flavor of various foods.
It is a common wood used in grilling Jamaican foods such as jerk chicken. Often used for grilling poultry and fish.
Plum
The flavor is milder and sweeter than hickory.
Good with most meats, great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.
Sassafras
A mild, musky, sweet smoke with a root beer aftertaste. Some say this is not a good candidate for smoking. Others love it.
Especially good on beef, pork and poultry.
Seaweed
The seaweed is washed to remove the salt and air or sun dried before use. It provides a somewhat spicy and natural flavor to the foods being smoked or grilled.
Commonly used for smoking shellfish such as clams, crab, lobster, mussels, and shrimp.
Walnut
While pecan is hickory’s milder cousin, walnut is the strong one. Often mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Intense and can become bitter if overused.
Good on red meats like Beef, Pork, Venison and other game meats. Can easily overpower poultry.
Topic: Smoking woods. (Read 1984 times)
